in a recent letter to vice- president biden, he wrote the following. "i urge you to support a bipartisan proposals like the mental first aid act. we paid too high a price for this neglect." every day, we see the effects of our decades-long neglect. i urge you to take the advantage of this opportunity to make a long overdue investments in mental-health to make all americans live longer, more filled lives. thank you for the opportunity to speak. >> mr. chipman. >> thank you for allowing me to speak today. i retired from atf as a special agent following 25 years of public service. as a federal agent, i have been called many things. recently "time" magazine called us and gunfighters. although i carried a fire arm every day for 25 years, and never once considered myself a gunfighter. i was a crime fighter. hollywood has glamorized it. i was not an actor. i was a cop. i served in many roles, however my mission was clear. it was my job to prevent violent crime. when i arrested criminals, i knew i was preventing crime and making a difference. when i was respon